Chapter 25

It seems that in this moment the copied consciousness of Doctor Gero - who was currently inhabiting a cloned body of Broly - was now loosing all of his control and reason.

They should have seen this coming, Goku thought.

The real Broly had lost control in a similar way as well during their first fight.

Gero let out a loud mindless loud scream as even more energy was ripping itself through his body and then violently breaking out in all directions...

... in form of countless small green shimmering globe-shaped blasts of ki energy that were shooting both up into the sky and down at the surface.

"Look out!" Goku shouted at the others.

The other Z-fighters reacted instantly as well and moved to stop the reign of green ki blasts that was threatening to his the planet.

While not really very powerful by their standards, every single blast was still more than powerful enough to blow up the planet.

Goku himself was the first to move in one short moment he slapped four of the blasts back upwards into the sky.

The others followed his example. Trunks and Goten stopped each two more blasts in the same manner, Uub three and Cabba, Caulifla, Kale and Marron each one of them.

In the same moment however...

"Got you," Twenty One - who had just appeared right behind Goku - remarked with a grin.

She had moved while he had just been stopping the ki blasts from hitting the ground and possible destroying the planet and shot him in the back.

The blast was not powerful enough to actually cause much damage.

But it was enough to be a distraction.

Nearly in the same moment the creature who Doctor Gero had become was charging at him wildly. As he was attacking him he let out a loud nearly animalistic scream.

It was clear that he had lost all control of himself and his senses.

But sadly this didn´t decrease his raw strength at all. The opposite - there was even more energy flowing through his body than before. Even if the cheer amount would cause possibly irreperable damage in the long run.

The insane Gero-Broly clone landed several hard punches on him and finally unleashed a large both handed blast on Goku that hit him frontally and he was caught in a giant explosion.

His body was send flying downwards by the force of the attack.

"Goku!" practically all of them called out as she saw what had happened.

He had lost his Blue-Kaioken and was now back in regular SSB form.

Gero however showed no sign to stop and aimed for him right again, before he was being interrupted.

The Z-fighters had just reformed their formation and were now concentrating their attacks on him. Of course none of them was careless enough to come any closer to him.

As expected however none of their blasts showed any real mentionable effect. But at least they bought Goku a few seconds.

"We need to fuse again," Trunks called out. "He is just too strong otherswise."

"Even then I am not sure if we can take him," Goten responded. "This guy is just too much."

Caulifla just gritted her teeth. She hated to admit it, but they had a point. This guy was miles stronger than even 21 and Cyber-Freeza.

"Do you really think we will let you?" Twenty One shouted and fired another volley of blasts between them, preventing any attempt from any of them to use the Fusion-Dance.

Gero/Broly charged again, this time at the Universe 6 saiyans. He was aiming a punch right at Caulifla. But Kale jumped in, grabbing his arm.

"Stop!" she shouted.

But Gero just threw her aside. Then he backhanded Cabba, who had been moving to stop him as well, and send Caulifla flying with a kick.

Then, with a roar, he fired another green blast in the direction of Uub, Marron and Pan.

"Yes Master - just as we knew, with this body these weaklings have no chance against you," Twenty One called out. "Please let me turn them all into sweets, so that I can eat them and..."

But Gero/Broly just turned around to her. And without any warning and a loud scream... he blasted her as well.

"You? No..." she shouted with a look of complete shock and disbelieve in her last moment.

The energy he unleashed was enough to completely disintigrate Twenty One down to her last molecule.

`Why?´ was her last thought.

She didn´t realize that there was no answer to her question. The creature that Gero became didn´t ask or think questions. It just destroyed.

xxx

Goku however had caught himself again. He had watched what just happened. Gero mindlessly turning on his partner and (former) wife and destroying her as well.

Goku started to once again power up.

Doctor Gero had completely lost himself. He needed to be stopped, one way or another.

But then one thing happened none of them would have expected.

During the last part of the figh, Neo Eighteen, still confused, had been staying out of it.

But now she was moving again, incredible fast... and grabbed Gero from behind. She was bending his arms backwards and trying to keep him in a stranglehold.

`Neo Eighteen?´ A part of Gero was still self-aware enough to feel anger over yet another `betrayel´ of another one of his own Androids.

But all what he was ultimately capable of was another scream of blind rage.

"Goku," Neo Eighteen called out. "Shoot him!"

Son Goku had by now reached Blue Kaioken times 20 again. He was already starting to charge up a Kamehameha.

The others were all looking in silence at the Android turning on her insane creator. Especially Marron watched with unclear feelings how the copy of her mother was now having a rebellion by herself.

"I will hit you as well," Goku pointed out.

"He was going to destroy the planet and with all of us on it, right? So shoot," she shouted. "I will do my best to get away."

Goku nodded silently.

He made the last moves and then he fired the Kamehameha.

Goten and Trunks joined in after exchanging a short look with two smaller Kamehamehas, quickly followed by the others with their own attacks.

The giant blast, followed by several smaller oes, was aiming at the spot were Neo Eighteen was desperately trying to hold the rampaging Broly clone. But the energy constantly being pressed through him made him (temporally) too powerful.

A split-second before the combined attacks hit, he broke free.

But at the same time his body had finally reached it´s limits. And for a short moment he was nearly paralized and in terrible pain. And that moment was enough.

The blasts hit him with full force and with one last savage scream his clones body and brain were being vaporized and reduced to scattered atoms.

Neo Eighteen had meanwhile used the chance to bring herself into a bit larger distance and avoid being hit as well.

As the Z-fighters were looking upwards their saw to their surprise that the female Android had survived.

Gero however was gone.

Neo Eighteen was slowly descending downwards and landed in front of them.

They were all on guard, but the Android made no threatening move.

"I guess you no longer want to fight?" Marron asked her.

"No," she replied. "I have realized that you were right."

It was over. Now in this timeline finally too.

xxxxxx

The next morning

They were just ready to return. Goku and the others were just saying their farewells to Marron, Goten, Trunks, Uub, Pan and Bulma.

All of them were standing assembled on the beach of this world´s version of Seventeen´s island, where they had agreed beforehand to travel back to their own timeline.

Neo Eighteen, who was also present, was standing somewhat aside, being silent for the most part.

Not unlike the real 18.

They had already materialized the time-machine and Marron would bring them back to the past.

"I am sorry about what happened to Yamcha," Goku said.

"You cold not prevent it," Trunks replied. "We all knew what we were getting into and what we risked."

"I know. Still..."

"He decided to save Pan´s life," Bulma said. "He was not the first friend we lost to Twenty One and Gero. But thanks to you and the others, he was the last. You have saved us all. Thank you."

She looked from Goku to Cabba, Caulifla and Kale and back.

"Y-you don´t need to thank us Bulma," Cabba said.

Even Caulifla looked a bit flustered at the praise.

"I wish you guys good luck," Goku told them.

"I think we will be alright now," Goten said.

"`Auntie´ here will in any case be a great help if something happens," Marron commented, looking at Neo Eighteen, who just staid silent.

A few of them were still not sure if they could trust the Android. She might have helped them and be peaceful now. But theoretically this could change as soon as Goku (or anyone else who could match her) was not longer around.

As a compromise they had agreed to let Bulma let Bulma made a control-device for the self-destruct bomb Neo Eighteen had still inside of her and keep it until she had completely earned their trust.

"We also have Uub and the new God Ki Goten and I now possess," Trunks stated. "So unless Demigra and his Servants show up here, I think we are quite save."

Goku´s face turned serious at this comment. So did Bulma´s and a few of the others.

"You realize that there is a chance this could actually happen?" Bulma mentioned. "Demigra might not have shown up in the last five years, but that didn´t mean he won´t in the future."

Everyone´s expression darkened, even the ones of the saiyans from Universe 6.

"By what Zen-chan and the High Priest have told us, there is only one Demigra in the Universe," Goku stated. "So if we defeat him in our timeline, your should be save from him, right?"

"Theoretically," Trunks replied. "At least as long you beat him before he ever targets our timeline."

"We will do our best," Goku said. "I promise what happened here will not repeat in our world. We will defeat him this time."

"I know you will," Bulma answered.

"Goodbye Master Goku," Uub said. "It was good to see you again."

"Goodbye Father," Goten said.

They entered the time-machine and returned to their own timeline.

xxxxxxx

Present Time - Seventeen´s Island

As they arrived, 17 was already standing before them. A small camp-fire next to him. As if he had already waiting for them.

"You are already here?" Goku asked him surprised.

"I just spend a few hours every day here, mostly training," Seventeen replied. He shrugged. "We have agreed that you would return to this spot after all. So it was clear that you would show up sooner or later."

"I see," Goku replied.

"Uncle Seventeen," Marron said. "Everything worked out."

"That´s good. So Gero is now finished in both timelines?"

"Yes."

"To be honest," Caulifla spoke up, "this entire adventure was just great. I didn´t have so many fantastic fights since the Tournament. Maybe we should spend more time with you guys."

"It was... interesting," Cabba said.

"I-... I agree," Kale started in her typical timid manner. "It was unbelievable. We fought all these incredible opponents. We learned to use God Ki. We even time travelled." She became louder and louder.

"We were just great, weren´t we Sis?" She actually exclaimed the last part loudly.

Everyone facepalmed slightly at Kale´s usual demeanor sudenly switching into the exact opposite.

"We were Kale," Caulifla answered.

"The others should be here as well very soon," 17 told them.

xxx

A few minutes later Vegeta, Gohan, Eighteen, Piccolo, Trunks, Goten, Krillin, young Marron, Tien and the good half of their timeline´s Twenty One had arrived.

"You are back," Vegeta stated.

"I guess that means Gero and Twenty One are history," Piccolo commented.

"Yes," Goku replied. "Except that one of course." He pointed at the good 21, who however just smiled in return.

The positive half of the Bio-Android had staid for the last week at Capsule Corp. She and Bulma were going along quite well. No great surprise since she had the mind of a brilliant researcher.

"And I guess everytthing worked out with this Moro as well," Goku stated.

"That guy is gone," Vegeta said. "Nothing unusual."

"Nothing at all," Eighteen repeated matter of factly.

"Mom, Dad," Future Marron said. "I will stay till tomorow until I return to the future. You will not believe what had happened."

Eighteen wrapped her arms around her and draw her closer.

"Will you be okay?" Krillin asked her.

"I will be," she answered. "I have survived like this for five years. Now things will finally get better."

She looked at the younger Marron.

"Take good care of our parents when I am gone," she asked her grinning.

"Don´t worry - I will," her younger self replied.

"We will return to Universe 6 very soon too," Cabba stated. "Vados should come to pick us up in a couple of days."

"I hope either us or you can visit again," Caulifla said.

xxxxxxx

The Universal Rift

Demigra was sitting on hid throne and currently listening to reports from Towa and Saek.

"So the God of Destruction from Universe 4 has agreed to our conditions?" he questioned.

"He did," Towa responded. "Quintella is now our... ally."

"A few of the others like Kaioshin Roh of Universe 9 or Rumshii of Universe 10 are also promising candidates," Saek added. "But most of the others seem to be completely resistent against our suggestions."

"it doesn´t matter," Demigra replied. "We will not need them. It seems the great time of the God of Destruction and Kaioshin is over. Mortals have caught up to them."

Towa frowned at the comment. But she could not deny the facts. Especially not to him.

"This group from Universe 7 will cause trouble for us sooner or later," Towa stated.

"They will. Maybe even more than one version of them," Demigra agreed. "But for now we have more pressing matters to deal with. We need to build up our own forces before we can go into the offensive. We are lucky that my powers cancel out Zeno´s influence and he can not reach us here.

Going out to attack Universe 7 would only mean giving up this advantage. We would risk provoking his allies into assisting them and risk an all out war before we are ready."

"Of course My Lord," Towa replied.

"I have searched the Multiverse for other candidates," Demigra continued. "Moro had showed promise, if he had not been confronted with such opponents so early."

"He did," Towa said. "We could always puck another version of him from a different timeline."

"We can. And maybe we will. Moro´s weakness however was that he was completely relying on his energy-absorbtion magic," Demigra pointed out.

"There are also a few other candidates I have on my mind."

xxxxxxx

Three years later

In the time after the second Android crisis live on Earth had for the most part continued peacefully and without any greater interruptions.

Trunks, Goten and Marron had grown up and had started to look more like their future-versions than the children they used to be.

They had also spend much time training. Goten and Trunks especially had realized how much they had started to lag behind the other saiyans.

xxx

Seventeen was like usual on his post on the island. Today however Eighteen had decided to keep him company for one day.

"You know," she said. "I asked to come here because I was curious what exactly you and Marron think so great about this. Spending the entire day in the wilderness, with nobody around beside yourself, only looking out for poachers or taking care of injured animals."

"And now?"

"I just don´t see it. I of course understand that this needs to be done. But I am bored as hell," Eighteen replied.

"Then why are you still here?" he asked. "You could go home whenever you wanted."

"I don´t know. Maybe I am dumb."

"Yes - that is a possibility," 17 commented.

They both smiled at each other.

xxx

Goku and Gohan meanwhile were on a visit at Mister Satan´s together with their families.

The Son family had by now adjusted quite well to their new status as world-famous people.

Mister Satan had publicy declared that Goku and his family in opposite to him preferred a quiet and normal life. And if someone had a question about them, he should just come to him. He was one of their best friends after all and their children were even married.

So the onslaught of reporters and fans was by far not as bad as you would have expected. Not to mention managed by Mister Satan´s public-relations agency, who was more than used to dealing with things like that.

Mister Satan had just mentioned that in some time a new Budokai will be taking place.

Goku was enthusiastic and that not just because of the fights. In the future Uub had mentioned to him that this tournament had been the first time they had met.

He could barely await to see this time´s version of his student.

There was also another small thing in Goku´s life that had changed.

His tail had grown back. It had been a side-effect of a new form of `training´ Vegeta had suggested.

Through more intensite moonlight through the chamber Bulma had created, so Vegeta´s theory, they might be able to strengthen their Wrath Forms even more.

So far not much had happened except that their bodies had regenerated their tails.

Not that either of them complained. Goku had his during his entire childhood and he knew that the old saiyans saw them as something of a sign of honor.

This is now finally the end of the new-future arc and the beginning of the next part of the story.

With the three year jump at the end it is now also quite close to the original End of Z.